Lead Software Engineer Jobs in Houston, TX
Lead Software Engineer jobs in Houston are concentrated across the Energy Corridor, Downtown, and Greenway Plaza, with strong demand in energy technology, healthcare IT, and aerospace software. Employers actively hiring include JPMorganChase, microvast, and alliantgroup. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
Find Lead Software Engineer JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 116+ Lead Software Engineer jobs
Job Description
As a Lead Software Engineer at JPMorganChase within the Corporate Technology Sector, you provide expertise and engineering excellence as an integral part of an agile data engineering team. To enhance, build, and deliver a trusted market leading Global Know Your Customer (KYC) and Risk Assessment Data Platform in a secure, stable, and scalable way. Leverage your advanced technical capabilities and collaborate with colleagues across the organization to drive best-in-class outcomes across various technologies to support one or more of the firm's portfolios.
This role is suited to a senior engineer who has hands-on skills to lead across multiple teams—defining architecture, engineering practices and standards, and delivering high-impact software that scales.
Job responsibilities
- Develops secure, high-quality production code for data-intensive applications and platforms, and reviews and mentors other engineers
- Creates durable, reusable software frameworks and patterns that are leveraged across teams and functions
- Designs and governs agentic Artificial Intelligence, systems, including multi-agent workflows, tool-use integrations, and human-in-the-loop controls appropriate for regulated financial services environments
- Drives adoption and governance of approved AI-assisted engineering practices across teams to improve code quality, delivery speed, and operational outcomes (e.g., AI-assisted code review/refactoring, test acceleration, release readiness, incident/root-cause analysis), while establishing measurable validation standards (secure coding, peer review, automated testing) and promoting reuse of proven patterns and automation within the SDLC/TLM toolchain.
- Applies knowledge of tools within the Software Development Life Cycle toolchain, including approved AI-assisted development and automation capabilities, to improve the value realized by automation at scale.
- Establishes engineering standards for Large Language Model-based applications — RAG pipelines, embedding workflows, vector store integrations, and model serving — ensuring safety, observability, and reproducibility at scale
- Drives adoption of advanced technical methods and practices aligned with the latest industry standards and product development methodologies
- Advises cross-functional teams on technological matters within your domain of expertise
- Applies knowledge of tools within the Software Development Life Cycle toolchain, including enterprise-authorized AI-assisted development and automation capabilities, to improve the value realized by automation at scale.
Required qualifications, capabilities, and skills
- Formal training or certification on software engineering concepts and 5+ years applied experience.
- Hands-on practical experience delivering system design, application development, testing, and operational stability at enterprise scale
- Hands-on experience designing and deploying production AI/ML systems, including LLM-based applications and agentic architectures with tool use, memory, and multi-step reasoning in regulated environments
- Expert in one or more programming languages, particularly Python and/or Java
- Advanced knowledge of software application development and technical processes, with considerable depth in one or more disciplines (e.g., cloud, AI/ML, data engineering)
- Demonstrated experience leading effective use of enterprise-authorized AI-assisted software development tools within the work environment (e.g., for coding, code review, test acceleration, troubleshooting) with the ability to set team expectations for validating AI outputs for correctness, performance, and security
- Strong understanding of responsible AI use in engineering workflows, including data sensitivity considerations, secure handling of inputs/outputs, and adherence to resiliency and security expectations; experience coaching senior engineers/leads on compliant usage patterns and controls.
- Experience in large-scale data processing, microservices, API design, Kafka, Redis, Memcached, observability tools (Dynatrace, Splunk, Grafana), and orchestration frameworks (Airflow, Temporal)
- Advanced working knowledge of relational and NoSQL databases, vector stores, data lake architectures, and data governance
- Practical cloud-native experience (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
- Ability to present and effectively communicate with senior leaders and executives
Preferred qualifications, capabilities, and skills
- Experience with modern data platforms such as Databricks or Snowflake
- Deep hands-on experience with Spark/PySpark and other big data processing technologies
- Expertise in open-source table formats and catalog services such as Apache Iceberg
- Experience with LLM orchestration frameworks and model serving infrastructure or managed endpoints (AWS Bedrock, Azure OpenAI)
- Familiarity with AI evaluation and observability practices: evals frameworks, red-teaming, prompt drift detection, and cost/latency monitoring for LLM workloads.
We offer a competitive total rewards package including base salary determined based on the role, experience, skill set and location. Those in eligible roles may receive commission-based pay and/or discretionary incentive compensation, paid in the form of cash and/or forfeitable equity, awarded in recognition of individual achievements and contributions. We also offer a range of benefits and programs to meet employee needs, based on eligibility. These benefits include comprehensive health care coverage, on-site health and wellness centers, a retirement savings plan, backup childcare, tuition reimbursement, mental health support, financial coaching and more. Additional details about total compensation and benefits will be provided during the hiring process.
We recognize that our people are our strength and the diverse talents they bring to our global workforce are directly linked to our success. We are an equal opportunity employer and place a high value on diversity and inclusion at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. We also make reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as mental health or physical disability needs. Visit our FAQs for more information about requesting an accommodation.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including Disability/Veterans
ABOUT THE TEAM
Our Corporate Technology team relies on smart, driven people like you to develop applications and provide tech support for all our corporate functions across our network. Your efforts will touch lives all over the financial spectrum and across all our divisions: Global Finance, Corporate Treasury, Risk Management, Human Resources, Compliance, Legal, and within the Corporate Administrative Office. You'll be part of a team specifically built to meet and exceed our evolving technology needs, as well as our technology controls agenda.
Job Description
As a Lead Software Engineer at JPMorganChase within the Corporate Technology Sector, you provide expertise and engineering excellence as an integral part of an agile data engineering team. To enhance, build, and deliver a trusted market leading Global Know Your Customer (KYC) and Risk Assessment Data Platform in a secure, stable, and scalable way. Leverage your advanced technical capabilities and collaborate with colleagues across the organization to drive best-in-class outcomes across various technologies to support one or more of the firm's portfolios.
This role is suited to a senior engineer who has hands-on skills to lead across multiple teams—defining architecture, engineering practices and standards, and delivering high-impact software that scales.
Job responsibilities
- Develops secure, high-quality production code for data-intensive applications and platforms, and reviews and mentors other engineers
- Creates durable, reusable software frameworks and patterns that are leveraged across teams and functions
- Designs and governs agentic Artificial Intelligence, systems, including multi-agent workflows, tool-use integrations, and human-in-the-loop controls appropriate for regulated financial services environments
- Drives adoption and governance of approved AI-assisted engineering practices across teams to improve code quality, delivery speed, and operational outcomes (e.g., AI-assisted code review/refactoring, test acceleration, release readiness, incident/root-cause analysis), while establishing measurable validation standards (secure coding, peer review, automated testing) and promoting reuse of proven patterns and automation within the SDLC/TLM toolchain.
- Applies knowledge of tools within the Software Development Life Cycle toolchain, including approved AI-assisted development and automation capabilities, to improve the value realized by automation at scale.
- Establishes engineering standards for Large Language Model-based applications — RAG pipelines, embedding workflows, vector store integrations, and model serving — ensuring safety, observability, and reproducibility at scale
- Drives adoption of advanced technical methods and practices aligned with the latest industry standards and product development methodologies
- Advises cross-functional teams on technological matters within your domain of expertise
- Applies knowledge of tools within the Software Development Life Cycle toolchain, including enterprise-authorized AI-assisted development and automation capabilities, to improve the value realized by automation at scale.
Required qualifications, capabilities, and skills
- Formal training or certification on software engineering concepts and 5+ years applied experience.
- Hands-on practical experience delivering system design, application development, testing, and operational stability at enterprise scale
- Hands-on experience designing and deploying production AI/ML systems, including LLM-based applications and agentic architectures with tool use, memory, and multi-step reasoning in regulated environments
- Expert in one or more programming languages, particularly Python and/or Java
- Advanced knowledge of software application development and technical processes, with considerable depth in one or more disciplines (e.g., cloud, AI/ML, data engineering)
- Demonstrated experience leading effective use of enterprise-authorized AI-assisted software development tools within the work environment (e.g., for coding, code review, test acceleration, troubleshooting) with the ability to set team expectations for validating AI outputs for correctness, performance, and security
- Strong understanding of responsible AI use in engineering workflows, including data sensitivity considerations, secure handling of inputs/outputs, and adherence to resiliency and security expectations; experience coaching senior engineers/leads on compliant usage patterns and controls.
- Experience in large-scale data processing, microservices, API design, Kafka, Redis, Memcached, observability tools (Dynatrace, Splunk, Grafana), and orchestration frameworks (Airflow, Temporal)
- Advanced working knowledge of relational and NoSQL databases, vector stores, data lake architectures, and data governance
- Practical cloud-native experience (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
- Ability to present and effectively communicate with senior leaders and executives
Preferred qualifications, capabilities, and skills
- Experience with modern data platforms such as Databricks or Snowflake
- Deep hands-on experience with Spark/PySpark and other big data processing technologies
- Expertise in open-source table formats and catalog services such as Apache Iceberg
- Experience with LLM orchestration frameworks and model serving infrastructure or managed endpoints (AWS Bedrock, Azure OpenAI)
- Familiarity with AI evaluation and observability practices: evals frameworks, red-teaming, prompt drift detection, and cost/latency monitoring for LLM workloads.
We offer a competitive total rewards package including base salary determined based on the role, experience, skill set and location. Those in eligible roles may receive commission-based pay and/or discretionary incentive compensation, paid in the form of cash and/or forfeitable equity, awarded in recognition of individual achievements and contributions. We also offer a range of benefits and programs to meet employee needs, based on eligibility. These benefits include comprehensive health care coverage, on-site health and wellness centers, a retirement savings plan, backup childcare, tuition reimbursement, mental health support, financial coaching and more. Additional details about total compensation and benefits will be provided during the hiring process.
We recognize that our people are our strength and the diverse talents they bring to our global workforce are directly linked to our success. We are an equal opportunity employer and place a high value on diversity and inclusion at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. We also make reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as mental health or physical disability needs. Visit our FAQs for more information about requesting an accommodation.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including Disability/Veterans
ABOUT THE TEAM
Our Corporate Technology team relies on smart, driven people like you to develop applications and provide tech support for all our corporate functions across our network. Your efforts will touch lives all over the financial spectrum and across all our divisions: Global Finance, Corporate Treasury, Risk Management, Human Resources, Compliance, Legal, and within the Corporate Administrative Office. You'll be part of a team specifically built to meet and exceed our evolving technology needs, as well as our technology controls agenda.
See All 116+ Lead Software Engineer Jobs in Houston
Find roles in Houston that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Lead Software Engineer JobsLead Software Engineer Job Market in Houston
Who's Hiring
- JPMorganChase97
- microvast10
- alliantgroup10
Top Industries Hiring
- Fintech10
- Banking & Financial Services10
- Investment & Asset Management10
Lead Software Engineer Jobs in Houston: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a lead software engineer job in Houston?
Target Houston's strongest hiring sectors: energy technology companies modernizing legacy infrastructure, Texas Medical Center health-tech vendors, and aerospace and defense contractors near Clear Lake. Roles concentrate in the Energy Corridor, Downtown, and Midtown. Candidates who stand out combine full-stack or cloud architecture experience with domain knowledge in one of those industries, plus a demonstrable history leading small engineering teams or driving technical decisions end to end.
Which companies hire lead software engineers in Houston?
Houston lead software engineer roles are posted by JPMorganChase, microvast, and alliantgroup and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Houston's employer mix skews toward energy majors and their technology subsidiaries, large hospital systems with in-house engineering, and mid-size SaaS companies serving industrial clients.
How can I get a lead software engineer job in Houston with little or no experience?
The most realistic path is targeting associate or mid-level software engineer roles at Houston's energy-tech companies or Texas Medical Center vendors, where team sizes are large enough to promote internally into lead positions. Building experience with cloud platforms and CI/CD pipelines is especially valued locally. Houston also has a growing startup scene in Greenway Plaza and EaDo where early engineers take on lead responsibilities sooner than they would at large enterprises.
Which industries hire the most lead software engineers in Houston?
Houston lead software engineer roles concentrate in Fintech, Banking & Financial Services, and Investment & Asset Management, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Houston's position as the energy capital of the U.S., combined with one of the largest medical complexes in the world and a significant aerospace presence near NASA's Johnson Space Center, drives sustained demand for senior engineering leadership across those sectors.
See All 116+ Lead Software Engineer Jobs in Houston
Find roles in Houston that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Lead Software Engineer Jobs